Second rower Isaiah Papali’i has been included in the Vodafone Warriors’ squad for Saturday’s sixth-round Intrust Super Premiership clash against the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles at Mount Smart Stadium (2.45pm kick-off).
Papali’i is set to return after recovering a knee injury suffered in the club’s second-round NRL match against Gold Coast on March 17.
He has also been named on the NRL squad’s extended bench for Saturday’s Old Boys’ Day encounter with Brisbane.
Also coming into the ISP line-up is middle forward Ligi Sao, who was used in the opening four NRL wins this season but didn’t play last week.
The Vodafone Warriors have a 2-3 record after last week’s disappointing 0-32 loss to Western Suburbs. The Sea Eagles are just ahead of them with two wins, a draw and two losses.
Meanwhile, the Vodafone Junior Warriors are coming off their first win of the season after accounting for Wests Tigers 26-10 last Saturday.
They take on the winless Manly side, which fell to a 14-22 loss to Wentworthville last weekend.
Returning for the Vodafone Junior Warriors is prop Soane Hufanga.
INTRUST SUPER PREMIERSHIP
VODAFONE WARRIORS v BLACKTOWN WORKERS SEA EAGLES
2.45pm, Saturday, April 14
Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
VODAFONE WARRIORS
1 HAYZE PERHAM
2 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD
3 JOE VUNA
4 COLE WAAKA
5 LEWIS SOOSEMEA
6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA
7 MASON LINO (c)
8 ALBERT VETE
9 SAM COOK
10 LIGI SAO
11 MATIU LOVE-HENRY
12 ISAIAH PAPALI’I
13 JAMES BELL (c)
Interchange:
14 KARL LAWTON
15 SIONE AFEMUI
16 PATRICK SIPLEY
17 KING VUNIYAYAWA
18 JOHNNY TUIVASA-SHECK
COACH | JOHN TEINA
JERSEY FLEGG CUP
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS
2.45pm, Saturday, April 7
Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney
VODAFONE JUNIOR WARRIORS
1 PAUL TURNER
2 ELIJAH SUFIA
3 TOM ALE
4 KAYAL IRO
5 PATRICK ELIA
6 SAM NATI
7 EIDEN ACKLAND
8 SOANE HUFANGA (c)
9 LEWIS SIO
10 PRESTON RIKI
11 SIONE TUIPULOTU
12 HAVI TUPOUNIUA
13 TYLER SLADE (c)
Interchange:
14 CARLOS HENRY
15 LOTU INISI
16 WESLEY VEIKOSO
17 BRODY TAMARUA
18 UENUKU MALESALA
COACH | RICKY HENRY
